Endangered Dicot Plants and Dicamba (Prostko)

At all my UPW trainings this year, at least 1 person has asked me for more information about the endangered dicot plant species in the 6 counties in Georgia where applicators of Engenia, Fexapan, and Xtendimax, must maintain a 57’ omni-directional buffer.  Here are a few things to think about in regards to this issue:

1) The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed by Congress in 1973 to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 

2) An “endangered” species is a species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

3) Here is a table listing the endangered dicot plants of those 6 GA counties.  Click on the plant name to learn more about it:

Plant	County
	Decatur	Dooly	Floyd	Mitchell	Seminole	Worth
Alabama leatherflower			X
Whorled sunflower			X
Fringed campion	X	X
American chaffseed	X			X	X	X
Cooley’s meadowrue				X		X
Canby’s dropwort		X
Harperalla		X
Pondberry						X

4) For more information about Endangered Species Bulletins, check out the following web-site: https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/endangered-species-protection-bulletins

2019 Using Pesticides Wisely Training Documentation (Culpepper, UGA and Tommy Gray, GDA)

Agents, many of you have been asking how documentation for our 2019 UPW trainings will occur. The following link will take you to the Georgia Department of Ag’s auxin website; scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see “Applicators with Using Pesticides Wisely Training for 2019” http://agr.georgia.gov/24c.aspx. Click on the location of interest, and names from individuals that filled out the registration (if legible) are entered. We are optimistic that this method and approach will simplify and improve the process.


Our goal is to have names posted on-line within 3 weeks of a training event. However, please understand that we have 19 UPW meetings in the next three weeks which will challenge our time line. The individual entering all of the registration names is also attending many of the trainings helping with registration, so please be understanding as we work hard to meet our time line for posting names.

Paraquat Training Update (Prostko/Culpepper)

We need to clarify a few things about our recent blog regarding new paraquat training requirements.  These training requirements only apply to newly labeled (2019) products.  They do not apply to paraquat products with labels prior to 2019.  With that said, we both strongly agree that it would be awesome for Georgia growers and pesticide applicators to take the lead and be proactive (like we were with dicamba).  Personally after completing this training, we will be changing the way we handle paraquat, protecting ourselves and our employees even more effectively than we did before this user-friendly training.

Paraquat Certified Applicator Training Required Before Applying Paraquat After March 8, 2019. (Culpepper/Prostko).

Below is a new requirement for anyone that applies paraquat (Firestorm, Gramoxone, Helmquat, Parazone, etc.) from this point forward.  Sarah Grayce Culpepper (my daughter) and I took the test this morning.  It was actually fairly interesting, especially to her, and even kept her entertained for the entire training module.....I was very surprised.  We then took the test where she got 14 of the 15 questions correct; I changed the one she had wrong so we would get a 100 which is required to get the certificate for me to be able to apply paraquat.  

All in all, this is an excellent course about stewarding pesticides and continues to support UGA's overall mission. I believe (but not completely sure) that one of the very sad case studies with paraquat poisoning discussed in the training occurred in GA.  

Couple of thoughts:

1.  As a first time user, I did have to create an account with eXtension by clicking on the link in the information below.  It took about 10 minutes to get it set up for me to be able to get to the module.
2. It took 29 minutes for us to take the course.......our internet is rather slow.
3. Sarah Grayce and I took the test together which took 11 minutes.  (if you do not make 100, you have to keep taking test until you get 100 so that would add a little more time).
4. Took 4 minutes to figure out how to print certificate; make sure to print certificate.
5. The issue that many of us (growers/applicators) throughout Georgia either do not have access to the on-line training or do not know to make the technology work is real.  Please consider ways to help; even though we know each of you are way too overwhelmed. 
6. We will add a very brief statement at the end of our UPW trainings and any remaining weed meetings to help share the information.
7. Paraquat is an IMPORTANT part of nearly every single sound management program UGA weed science recommends in agronomic crops.
8. Critical points to remember include: a) paraquat can only be applied by a certified pesticide applicator and b) an EPA-approved paraquat training is required every 3 years. 
9. For complete information about this new required training program please refer to the following web-site:

• https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/paraquat-dichloride-training-certified-applicators

Harmony Extra and FirstShot: What’s the difference? (Prostko)

Had a few questions about using Harmony Extra or FirstShot + Roundup (glyphosate) or Gramoxone (paraquat) in a preplant burndown application for the improved control of wild radish (and a few other weeds).  Grower did not want to use an auxin herbicide (i.e. 2,4-D or dicamba) in his sprayer due to off-target movement and sprayer clean-out concerns.  Although these herbicides contain the same active ingredients, they are not exactly the same product.   Refer to the chart below.  Note the big difference in the peanut rotation restriction.

Herbicide	Use Rate (oz/A)	Active Ingredients		Crop Rotation Restrictions (Days)a
		Thifensulfuron (%)	Tribenuron (%)	Peanut	Cotton	Field Corn	Soybean	Grain Sorghum	Wheat	Any Other
FirstShot 50SG	0.50-0.80	25	25	30b	14	14	7c	14	0	45
Harmony Extra 50SG	0.45-0.90d	33.33	16.67	45	14	14	7	14	0	45

^aIf FirstShot or Harmony Extra is used on light textured soils (such as sands, loamy sands, or sandy loams) or on high pH soils (>7.9), extend planting

times listed in this chart by 7 additional days.

^bAlabama and Georgia only.

^cWhen FirstShot is applied at 0.5 oz/A, the application may be made within 3 days after planting but prior to soybean emergence.

^dMaximum application rate for preplant cotton burndown is 0.75 oz/A.

Troubleshooting (Prostko)

Now that we are about to head into the busy planting season, extension agents will likely be spending more time in the field troubleshooting problems.  As an extension specialist, I am always more than happy to help with any problem. However, it can often be very frustrating for me (and other specialists) to get sent a picture(s) with no more information than "Do you think this is herbicide injury?"  Despite my ever whitening hair, there is still plenty that I do not know and the diagnosis of crop injury is often very complicated.  Thus, before sending me a text or e-mail (I prefer e-mail pics since they are easier to see), try to get as much information as possible about the problem.  For example:

Crop:
Variety/Hybrid:
Planting Date:
Herbicide Application Dates:
Previous Crop and Herbicides Applied (what and when):
Current Fertility Program:
Other Pesticides/Products Applied:

It would also be extremely beneficial for agents to collect soil fertility and nematode samples, since nutrient deficiencies and nematode injury can often resemble herbicide injury.  Often times, the best way to solve a problem is to rule out what it is not.  For the record, many "herbicide injury" problems that I have been involved in over the last 20 years turned out to be nematode or fertility problems.

Here are just a few good web-sites for help in diagnosing field problems:

Herbicide Injury Symptoms on Corn and Soybean (Purdue)
https://www.btny.purdue.edu/Extension/Weeds/HerbInj2/InjuryHerb1.html

Peanut Herbicide Injury Guide (TAMU)
http://publications.tamu.edu/PEANUTS/PUB_peanuts_Peanut%20Herbicide%20Injury%20Symptomology%20Guide.pdf
(Special Note: I co-wrote this publication earlier in my career and since that time, I have proven that shoot inhibitor herbicides (Dual Magnum, Warrant , Zidua) do not cause peanut  J-rooting (page 5).

Herbicide Injury Data Base (University of Arkansas)
https://plants.uaex.edu/herbicide/

Herbicide Damage to Cotton (TAMU)
http://cotton.tamu.edu/Photos/herbicide_injury/index.html

Nutrient Deficiencies and Application Injuries in Field Crops (Iowa State)
https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/files/article/nutrientdeficiency.pdf

Lastly, please remember that I have always and will always answer any phone call, text, or e-mail I receive from extension agents in a timely matter! 

Vegetable Weed Management Circulars are Available! (Culpepper and Vance)

The following weed control circulars are ready: 1) Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower; 2) Yellow and Zucchini Squash, 3) Watermelon, 4) Methyl Bromide Alternatives, and 5) Sweet Potato.

For those not familiar with our circulars, they are each two pages with a programs approach for managing weeds while mitigating herbicide or fumigant injury.

If you would like a copy prior to them being uploaded on our web site (www.gaweed.com) in March of 2019, do the following:

E-mail Jenna Vance at jcsmith3@uga.edu and ask for one of the following options:

Option 1: Request laminated circulars to be mailed to you. Provide the number of circulars for each crop that you would like and provide and address to send them.

Option 2: Request a pdf version.  An e-mail response will provide the PDF as an attachment.